News

Zimbabwe's dairy sector is on a rebound, with the country hoping to build on increasing milk production to surpass its national annual requirements.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a new group of commissioners to the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), marking the start of a new five-year term that will run from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030.

Prospects for a positive 2026 are improving as lower input costs are expected for the agriculture sector and bumper grain crops seem likely. Loffie Brandt, head of sales enablement at Absa AgriBusiness, spoke to Farmer’s Weekly about how farmers can take advantage of opportunities in the new year.

South African farmers are struggling to claim compensation or reclaim their farms that were seized during Zimbabwe's land reform exercise launched in 2000 by then-President Robert Mugabe.

As about 90% of South Africa's summer grain crops, including sunflower, are predominantly rainfed, climate changes and rainfall patterns have a major impact on production. When looking at the 2025/26 season, the production outlook is cautiously optimistic for grain farmers.

Around the world, soya beans are in high demand for livestock feed and as a plant-based source of protein for human consumption, offering high protein content without cholesterol or saturated fats.

Dry beans are important for crop rotation and make a significant contribution to the country’s economy, as domestically grown beans are also in demand internationally.

Thirty women researchers, nine of whom are conducting research that benefits the agricultural sector, have received the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents Sub-Saharan Africa Award.

The confirmation of a new foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) case in Amahlathi Local Municipality in the Amathole district has once again placed the Eastern Cape at the centre of South Africa’s escalating animal health crisis.

When household budgets tighten, ethical consumption is often the first casualty. Yet in agriculture, periods of economic strain are when fair trading relationships matter most. South Africa’s Fairtrade industry shows how trade-based interventions can strengthen producer and worker resilience.

A small recovery in local sugar production coincided with a steep drop in the international sugar price, and slow government response to the volatile international market resulted in record sugar imports during 2025.

It was a year of extremes for South African weather, with unusually wet conditions in parts of the summer rainfall areas, while winter cropping areas felt the pinch of below-average rainfall.

South Africa’s fruit exporters had a roller-coaster year, as optimism over record yields and exports was tempered by market jitters over tough tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration and ongoing logistical uncertainty.

Failing infrastructure upstream of Hammanskraal near Pretoria, Gauteng, continues to undermine livestock welfare, crop production, and farm viability in northern Tshwane.

South African extra-virgin olive oil producers have earned some of the highest honours at major international competitions over the past year, despite the local industry accounting for just 0,99% of the global olive oil market, according to the SA Olive Association.

South African farmers are set to receive modest but welcome cost relief in January 2026, as a projected diesel price cut eases pressure during peak operations, particularly harvesting and land preparation.

US President Donald Trump’s trade war with China was expected to dampen festive cheer this year, with artificial Christmas trees noticeably more expensive for US consumers this holiday season.

A hot, windy weekend kept Western Cape fire crews busy on the last weekend before Christmas, with a fire at Laborie Wine Estate in Paarl and disruptions in a number of other farming areas.

After Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen announced that South Africa’s entire national herd would be vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease, scepticism quickly surfaced among farmers and industry role players. Questions were raised about feasibility, timelines, vaccine supply, budgets, and enforcement capacity.

For many in the Western Cape, the severe drought of 2017/18 is a distant memory, but on the Mossel Bay Vlakte the drought never really ended.